Veterans job fair planned at Washtenaw Community College

ANN ARBOR, MI - Hire MI Vet is hosting its third annual employment event for military veterans and their family members at Washtenaw Community College Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Don Deatrick, president of Hire MI Vet, said the event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Morris Lawrence Building, 4800 E. Huron River, will include on-the-spot hiring and interviews with employers like the Michigan Department of Corrections, Quicken Loans, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, the city of Ann Arbor and Starbucks.

The veteran-focused job fairs started in 2015 after Deatrick was asked as a Rotary Club member to look into how to assist Washtenaw County veterans with employment after seeing a need in the community.

"We had noticed veterans coming back and they were falling in the cracks as far as finding jobs," Deatrick said. "Veterans are looking for two things, first, health care, and second, they're looking for jobs."

Now, more than seven organizations are working together to secure employment for veterans returning home or re-entering the workforce. They're seeking to fill a gap that Deatrick said affects former military members from the ages of 18 to 80.

Last year's event drew 128 veterans and around 46 found permanent employment as a result of Hire MI Vet's 2017 job fair, Deatrick said. The event is also growing in attendance for both job seekers and employers.

"We're getting a very big response because of our improved website and we have a professional webmaster doing our Facebook site," Deatrick said about the 2017 event.

Despite a low unemployment rate, Deatrick said he sees a lot of "Hiring" signs around Ann Arbor and wants veterans to know of the variety of industries and jobs that are available throughout the county.

Some of companies seeking help will be at the job fair: Fedex is looking to fill temporary positions ahead of the holidays, with the possibility of a permanent job offer, and Thomson Reuters is seeking software and tech-savvy applicants for Ann Arbor openings.

"Our intention here from the very beginning three years ago is to have a wide variety of jobs from national as well as local companies," Deatrick said.

One thing that sets Hire MI Vet apart from other job fairs, Deatrick said, is Preparation Day: an event scheduled ahead of each job fair is which veterans can sharpen their interviewing skills and receive vouchers for free haircuts.

"No one else does that in Michigan," Deatrick said. "Over half of them need this kind of assistance we provide at Preparation Day."

The job fair on Nov. 7 also includes a resource room, where agencies serving veterans and their families can provide information and speak with job seekers about services like healthcare and education.

The events also provide greeter guides, who help veterans register and answer questions ahead of interviews with employers.

"It gives them more confidence; many of them might be nervous," Deatrick said.

This year's job fair also includes a presentation on entrepreneurship by Dr. Eric Fretz with the University of Michigan, who is also retired from the U.S. Navy and will talk about entrepreneurship.

Day-of registration starts at 9 a.m. Participating employers include: